NEWARK, NJ– With a blast of winter weather predicted to move into the region late Monday evening, NJ TRANSIT is taking proactive steps to minimize delays, ensure service reliability, and give customers additional travel options. All customers are strongly advised to check njtransit.com before traveling for up-to-the-minute service information before starting their trip.

System wide cross-honoring in effect: To give customers additional travel options during expected winter weather conditions, NJ TRANSIT will offer system wide cross-honoring on Tuesday, November 27, enabling customers to use their ticket or pass on an alternate travel mode-rail, bus or light rail. For example, customers who normally take the bus from Rutherford to the Port Authority Bus Terminal may use their bus pass on the train from Rutherford to New York Penn Station. Similarly, customers who normally take the bus between Atlantic City and Lindenwold may use the Atlantic City Rail Line instead at no additional charge.

Customers are reminded that many NJ TRANSIT trains are on modified schedules because of Hurricane Sandy and are advised to check njtransit.com before traveling. Because of the modified schedules, the website’s trip planner is not operable.

"NJ TRANSIT is taking a proactive role to prepare for the impending storm. While we have both the equipment and personnel ready to clear tracks and platforms, we also we want to provide customers with as much travel flexibility as possible. We want to keep our customers on the move, and this is why system wide cross-honoring will be in effect for all of Tuesday," said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director James Weinstein. "We want our customers to be safe, and encourage them to plan ahead and use good judgment in their travels. Customers should also monitor njtransit.com, in addition to social media pages, broadcast reports and station announcements."

NJ TRANSIT is prepared to handle the impending winter weather:

Snow plows and salt spreaders are ready for service and snow-removal contracts are in place with outside vendors.

NJ TRANSIT is well-stocked with 16,000 bags of snow-melting supplies, and hundreds of shovels and snow blowers.

NJ TRANSIT has performed maintenance and testing on its two rail-mounted jet snow blowers in the event they are needed to help clear train tracks of snow and ice, particularly in rail yards.

More than 750 rail switches were inspected prior to Hurricane Sandy. Inspections are continuing along rail lines where rail service has been recently restored.

Bus maintenance personnel have inspected and performed necessary maintenance on a fleet of nearly 2,200 buses - from the heating and airbrake systems, to the engine fluids, tires, windshield wipers and doors.

While every measure has been taken to prepare for the storm, it may be necessary to adjust service during the storm. As a result, NJ TRANSIT encourages its customers to monitor the latest service updates via njtransit.com, Twitter, Facebook, station announcements and broadcast traffic reports.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 895,000 weekday trips on 261 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 164 rail stations, 61 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.